From the Office of Marty Walt

Bringing the whole family on your next trip? As long your pets are healthy, with easygoing temperaments—and your vet gives the OK—they'll probably enjoy traveling with you. Follow these tips to help keep them safe and comfortable along the way:

Today we are going to talk about tailgating. And no, I don't me the fun past time activity prior to the start of a football game. No, today, we are going to talk about the other kind of tailgating. The oh so ridiculous activity that gets you nowhere other than in a wreck. You know the activity, probably all too well. When it's all you can do to not simply slam on your brakes and force the person behind me through your rear bumper. While we sometimes might feel that way, we all need to remember that no matter what we do, we can't really change other people's driving habits. Rather, all we can do is alter our own driving behavior to make sure that we are driving defensively.

Chances are you won't be sued for an automobile crash or an accident at your home that costs more than your liability insurance policy is willing to pay. But there is a type of insurance that can guarantee you won't be wiped out financially if that should happen.

But not-so-wealthy people also can benefit from the extra coverage if they own a home or condominium with a pool or trampoline, if they own a dog or if they have teenage drivers. If you own a home or condominium, it's definitely worth the time to look into getting one of these policies.

Colorado, Oregon and Washington are among the first six states to get preliminary approval from the Obama Administration to operate a health insurance exchange.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services announced the decision on Monday. The other states were: Maryland, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Federal officials say Oregon's application was given conditional approval because the state hasn't completed all required actions but will be ready to operate by October.

Washington state has received conditional approval by the federal government to move forward with a state-based health insurance exchange starting Oct. 1, 2013.

Washington Healthplanfinder will be the online portal for people to compare and enroll in health insurance coverage. Washington Healthplanfinder will begin enrolling consumers on Oct. 1, 2013, for health insurance coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.

Gov. Chris Gregoire says 200,000 uninsured Washingtonians will be able to receive insurance through the exchange.